NaBloPoMoNoProFoNo #3: On foods that taste like childhood. #RECIPE - Tsoureki

Everyone has at least one food that reminds them of their childhood. 

Personally, when I want to be transmogrified back to my youth, I make Tater Tot Casserole.  Converting that recipe (which includes multiple cans of Campbell's condensed soup, natch) into something legitimately nonprocessed will hopefully be an amusing challenge for me later in the month. 

But for now, we'll start with one of my husband's favorite childhood foods, Tsoureki (greek easter bread). Since he commutes to work pretty early, I sometimes make up a loaf on Sunday and then pack slices for breakfast during the week. This recipe technically contains processed sugar, but you can sub raw sugar if you like...more on that tomorrow.

Recipe for Tsoureki

Ingredients

3/4 c milk, slightly warm (I microwave it)

2.5 t yeast (one packet)

4 c all-purpose flour

2/3 sugar

1 t salt

1/2 t cinnamon

2 T butter, melted

2 T olive oil

2 T honey

2 eggs

zest from 1 orange

1 T milk

1 egg yolk

Instructions:

Combine 3/4 c warmed milk with yeast, set aside.

Combine flour, sugar, salt, and cinnamon in a large bowl, set aside.

Add the melted butter, olive oil, honey, eggs, and orange zest to the milk/yeast mixture and mix.

Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients, mix with a spoon until combined.

Turn out onto a floured surface and knead by hand for 10 minutes.

Place dough in an oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and let rise for 2 hours.

After 2 hours, divided dough into three portions.  Roll out each portion to about 16ish inches long (I've never measured.  I roll to about the length of my pan). 
Braid into a loaf and set on a baking pan (I use parchment paper, oil the pan if you don't).

Cover loaf with oiled plastic wrap and let rise for 1 hour.

After 1 hour, preheat oven to 350F. 
Beat together 1 T milk and egg yolk, and brush onto the loaf. The more egg wash you use, the darker the loaf will be, if you have an aesthetic preference.

Bake for 30 minutes.

BAM, DONE!  This stays good covered at room temp for at least 4-ish days, I don't think we've ever had it around longer than that. In fact I didn't even get a chance to take a picture before the front piece had been torn off and eaten:

I sometimes make whole wheat blueberry muffins for a packable breakfast, and I suspect those have more redeeming nutritional value than this, but there's a lot to be said for starting out your day with a food that puts you in a good mood.